The weekly messenger. [volume] (St. Martinsville [i.e. St. Martinville] La.) 1886-1948, 1887-12-24
BIG SHARKS.
The Fierce Captain of the Har-
Dor" at San Domingo.
How Pearl Divers Defend Them
selves From the Monsters.

of San Domingo. The speaker was an
old sea captain whose voyages have led
him to explore every region of the
globe. "What we consider a big shark
in these waters would be a very small
one there" he continued. "The slaugh-
ter house where beeves and sheep are
killed every day to supply the city of
San Domingo with meats stands upon a
rocky eminence overlooking the harbor.
The sharks come every day at a certain
time to feed upon the offal thrown into
the water. There are hundreds of them,
and the way they fight is terrible to see.
Some of them jump out of the water in
fury and lash it into foam with their
tails. One big fellow, fully 20 feet in
length, is called by the San Domingoans
the captain of the harbor.' lie is ex-
ceedingly fierce and has killed several
men already. Every seafaring man who
has visited the harbor of San Domingo
knows him, for he is the first shark to
make an appearance in the wake of a
vessel. He was first seen in the harbor
twenty years ago, and has found the
living so good there that he has never
left it since. l suppose he is the most
celebrated shark in the world.
'It is the popular belief that divers
for pearls and spongcs in waters where
sharks abound incur terrible risks. but
this is not true. A careful man has
nothing to fear. He goes into the water
heavily weighted, has divers helmet
on his head which enables him to re-
main under the surface for a long time.
and is usually armed with long sheath
knife. When he sees shark approach
ing, which in those clear waters NAV be
perhaps 100 yards off, he has only to lie
down flat, with his back to the bottom
OF the sea, and no living shark can harm
him. Sharks are compelled to turn
over on their backs before they can seize
their prey. Their mouths are placed
so far back of their long shouts that it
Is only by swimming under their victims
and turning, that they can use their
vicious jaws with effect. The diver out
wits them by doing as | have described.
Sometimes shark will try to route him
out from his position, but few stabs of
the sheath knife settles that matter
speedily. The wounded shark swims
of with the speed of an arrow and the
diver pulls his rope and is hauled to the
surface. Most of the men killed in the
pearl and sponge fisheries are native
divers who venture into the water naked
any means of defence other than
knife. They can stay under water for
only a minute or two at time. and if n
'hark approaches they must either fight
him or rise rapidly to the surface and
limb into the boats. Even under such
iisadvantageous circumstances few of
hem lose their lives.
1.-THE greatest danger to be feared in
he presence of shark is the paralysis
# fear. Sharks unless very hungry will
lot attack man while in motion. Thew
win around with longing eyes waiting
or one moment when their victims shall
emain quiet, and then make their on
Taught. On the coast of Africa the
atives fight sharks fearlessly. They
inter- the ocean naked. having first oiled ,
heir bodies in order that they NAV slide
trough the water easily. Their only 7
'eapon is stout stick about two feet
length sharpened at both ends. The
'ater is so clear that they can see for :
undreds of feet around them. When a Z
bark swims toward them they wait un-
the moment he turns on his back and
he opens his jaws to seize them thcy
trust the stick cross wise into his mouth. /
ID swim off. The sharks mouth being il
cid open by the stick, he is soon =
rowned, when the natives tow him v
hore and feast upon his flesh. For my ! p
!rt l do not believe that sharks are ma G
We to American waters. have heard | Il
d seamen say that they came from h
frlca, following in the wake of the u
st siavers that came to this country. a
hose vessels were always so overcrowd- r,
that many died on the voyage and "
ere thrown overheard. The sharks ri
d upon their bodies until they reached f,